Johnny Gill
Source: Johnny Gill / Radio One Digital
There is one undeniable fact about Johnny Gill’s Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum career. The singer/songwriter/producer sure knows how to rub music fans the right way.
Gill further fortifies that inimitable legacy with his latest release, Game Changer II (J Skillz Records/Kalvary). Like its predecessor, 2014’s Game Changer, Gill’s eighth solo studio album arrives packed with an avalanche of hits. In fact, the singer has already claimed an R&B No. 1 with the set’s lead single “Soul of a Woman.” Inspired by Gill’s mother Annie Mae, the song praises the power of women—which is exquisitely captured in its accompanying video co-starring Emmy Award winner Tiffany Haddish.
GC II’s second single, which went top ten on the charts, is: “Perfect.” Extolling the virtues of natural beauty, strength, and intellect, the sultry ballad reunites Gill with his New Edition bandmate Ralph Tresvant. But ballads weren’t the only thing on Gill’s mind while recording this project.
The 11-track set boasts several up-tempo, genre-bending tracks such as the Latin-spiced “Fiesta” featuring icons Carlos Santana and Sheila E., the reggae-tinged love song “Only One” and “That’s My Baby,” a sumptuous tribute to one of Gill’s biggest heroes, Luther Vandross. Rounding out the guest cameos is After 7 lead singer Kevon Edmonds on “Home.” And on “So Hard,” Gill teams up again with legendary producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the masterminds behind his 1990 breakthrough hit “Rub You the Right Way.” (Gill shares the creative inspiration behind each GC II selection, including three bonus tracks, following the bio.)
“I wanted to focus on including more tempo because I haven’t recorded those kinds of songs in a while,” says Gill of recruiting Jam & Lewis, Gregg Pagani, and Elvis “Blac Elvis” Williams, among other producers. “I like to party as well. So they came up with nice tempo records that allowed me to be Johnny without compromising who I am.”
As the formidable next chapter in Gill’s career, Game Changer II underscores once more why he is a long-distance legacy artist with a brand that’s ever-evolving. The new album builds on the career renaissance that predecessor Game Changer ushered in five years ago. That project detonated five R&B hit singles, including the No. 1 “This One’s for Me and You.”
In fact, in every arena that he has entered, the volcanic-voiced Gill has been a game-changer. Discovered at 16 years old, he released two albums through Atlantic Records. He next joined now-iconic boy band New Edition, helping them segue melodically from novelty to longevity on timeless classics such as “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand the Rain.” As a linchpin of legendary Motown Records’ ‘90s comeback roster, Gill exploded as a solo artist with an indelible one-two punch from producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (“Rub You the Right Way”) and L.A. Reid & Babyface (“My, My, My”). Alongside Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat, Gill established L.S.G., the powerful R&B supergroup behind the sexy smash “My Body.” He also formed another supergroup, Heads of State, with New Edition peers Bobby Brown and Tresvant.
